Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-05-21
MUSIC FOR CHURCHES.
THE STAGE ROss THE CHURCH CHOIR OF THE BEST VOICES.


 Tho Growing Demands of Church GOers.
 Tho Secret of the Present Dearth of Good Voices-Sopranos and TenOrs Be-
 coming Scarce.
 The churches in New York are trying tO solve the problem how and where tho music for 1887 is to De obtained. There is money enough to pay for cultivated voices, but the trouble k that trained voices are not in tue market. AS in times past the church going public demanded that they should have preacher of celebrity and power, SO now they demand that cultivated voices shall be furnished for the choir. Although there l. a development Of the craving for chorus caCIS gIi for double quartgts, nothing short of a well balanced. competent choir that can interpret the most difficult selections UIl satisfy the average church goe-. In fact, the character of the music rendered by a church choir to-day is of as much importance and great drawing card as the man who occupies tlo pulpit. Com sequcn,.y tlc church music committees arc having a y-ry industrious hunt f1r good voices
 Cultivated soprano and tenor voices aro h. great demand, aniit seems that the vocal i,ts of Now York are looking for salaries as well ;i, ia.lc. lt Is estimated that the sJla riss pal. idg church music in this city, al- tEo.-l r-I---- from SlUO Co St0l0 Ter ya-i.. ---..---e without d0Eb- ualy times t'-e pastoral llsrigs lt Las long been .A" com. 4-.lt ot those ,u-a-gi il church C-r.g work that they were by TO means slf- tsi.EtlN reclup--zel for thc time and ubil- fly involved. but so long as volunteers and ab.s recruits could bs had almost for the ".4l-Ec; their plaiuts and criticisms wcro uuLee,iei.
 FOUND A BETTER MARKET.
 ''I do not thiall tho secret of the present dcsr.h of good voices Is that singers have det-sminei to be paid for ths.- work or not siE-" saiI a well known wicker of d., chcrister baton the other day. '.It is rather that they have found much better market for their voices. Since the introduction of 'fiusfore into this country tae church cho.rs have seen ransackeI aui depletli Co the end of furnishing leading and chorus yoi-ss for the muitituis Hf comic operas Chat have SD quickly aui WccessiuIly fol- lowe,l Gilbert and Sullivan 's tuneful history of Ralph Eacss,raw. Whese d good singer once lent the best eUdcayors Co obtaining a position in e church choir. Go-day the rule k Co seek out some manager in anticipation of securing an ou-asyilent on the stage. Even those persoIls who have not succeeled in finding such an engagement still refuse church work because they hope son Co se- cure the long coveted place Ou the oTeratic or theatrical stage. In brief, ihe church has been robbed by the stage for the past five years.
 Not only are our own city churches in need Of good voices, bccluS. CI this sralua- ti1n Co the stage. bat because out 0f town churches, finding it di.ii-ult Go secure couI- pet.Et voices. have invaded New York, ani by making liberal offers hays carried away some of our Lest singers. There are plenty of singers Go he sure, but there is a scarcity of available vole,s of the r,,gIi,ltc cLltiya- tiln for church service. Though -ho main difficulty seems Co as in obtaining sopranos ani teuUrs. tLc detic.-ucv Is s.ally not con fn-i Co one ciass of vocalLst,. Altos and bass voices can bc had, Lut they must To hIeTIlly paid t0.. [ call to mind now aa instance where one church ig Chi, city will pay a newly euSa- d alto uore than double the salary given t1 L,r pre,i-cl>slr. While many iIss and baritone va.rs are In tho market. su Co speak. the rich, deep. well rounded bass is Co bc obta;nei only with much difficulty. Singers To--ss-ils voices have DO cultivation. and thc~e wLose voices show cuiturT are lacking iu Che desired tim Der It l, a fact tEa' iu order Co retain the valuable cumVpEsu;s 0f their cloirs many of the churches will havo Co iucrcase tho salaries Eext ySlr more than ever before. As [ look back ! can call f' mind several well known companies on the road that represent many oi the best voices that have been heard m church cholrs. New York Mail ani Ex. r-,S.